This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Barcelona have a major conundrum on their hands.
Their squad is full of midfielders and the abundance of them is halting the progression of some of their most talented youngsters.
The case of Carles Alena is the most glaring one when it comes to first-team players as the young La Masia gem has been frozen out of the team since matchday one of the ongoing 2019/20 La Liga season.
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But worryingly enough, the Blaugrana actually have a problem even bigger than that one that will require their attention sooner rather than later.
We’ve already discussed how Riqui Puig, their 20-year-old midfielder prodigy, simply has to be given a chance by Ernesto Valverde but the situation is becoming much worse with each passing day.
Just recently, Puig suffered a horror tackle while playing for Barcelona B and while he escaped without any serious consequences, it should make one thing abundantly clear for the Blaugrana – he has outgrown the Segunda B Division and needs to move up as soon as possible.
These tackles have now become a regularity because the opposition simply don’t have any other tools to stop the youngster from wreaking havoc through their teams.
According to Sport, Barcelona currently have an internal debate about how to exactly approach this situation and it seems they have taken notice of the harsh treatment their young star has been getting with Barca B.
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The three options they have for him on the table are staying with Barcelona B until he’s ready to step up, go out on loan or get promoted to the first-team instead.
Recently, many of the fans have even requested that he is promoted as they believe he already has the quality to play with the seniors.
But at this point, if promotion doesn’t guarantee him game time, a possible loan deal should definitely be considered by the youngster.
Even that is better than staying put, risking injuries, not improving and playing against opponents that are not really on his level.
The clock is certainly ticking for Blaugrana and they will have to make their decision before it’s too late.
Either make some space for him within Valverde’s squad or send him somewhere that gives him the chance to play at the highest level and keep developing in a much safer environment.
One thing is for sure – something has to give and something absolutely has to change.
